30
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Aileen's face flushed all the way to her neck as she recalled Cesare's voice.
Why on earth would he do that? Was he amused by her flustered and floundering reaction? Aileen clutched at the sofa, lost in thought. But the more she considered it, the less it seemed like a big deal.
After all, Cesare was a healthy young man with desires. It wasn't strange for him to want to satisfy those desires with his future wife.
But even so, he'd only succeeded in making her feel incredibly strange, while Cesare himself hadn't relieved anything. Aileen racked her brain for a reason, but there was no answer to be found. One thing, however, was clear.
'How embarrassing...'
She didn't think she'd be able to look Cesare in the face for a while. Even now, when she wasn't looking at him, she couldn't stop thinking about him. His hot breath and moans, his feverish body temperature, the pleasure that had torn through her.
The more she recalled the memories, the more her stomach felt like it was burning. She even felt a ticklish sensation in her breasts, where Cesare had tormented her. She felt an urge to scratch, but she couldn't bring herself to touch such a sensitive area.
Aileen pressed her fingernails into her palm to suppress the itching. Only after creating several crescent-shaped marks was she able to breathe a little easier.
"..."
She was so glad she hadn't invited Cesare to the small dinner she was hosting for the Grand Duke's knights.
Originally, she had considered inviting him, but then she thought he might be busy and she didn't want to bother him. Looking back now, it was definitely the best choice.
'I should avoid His Grace the Grand Duke for a while.'
Aileen made a firm resolution, unaware that the shocking memory of that night had erased all the bad memories.
A few days later, on the day of the dinner.
Aileen woke up early and cleaned the house thoroughly, then took a trip to the market. She wasn't much of a cook, so she planned to warm up food she had ordered in advance from several restaurants.
By the time she had bought fruit at the market and visited the restaurants, it was already afternoon. She was busily preparing everything when her father opened the front door and came in.
He had gone out to meet a friend the day before and was only now returning. He reeked of alcohol and cigarettes, as if he had spent the night out.
"You're back?"
Aileen, who had been rushing to greet him, stopped in her tracks, repulsed by the stench emanating from her father. Her father glanced at Aileen and chuckled.
"My beloved daughter!"
"...Do you know we have guests coming for dinner tonight?"
"Ah, guests. Yes, I'll be out of here before then."
With that, he went into the bedroom. He probably intended to lie down on the bed without even washing. The bedroom had its own bathroom, but he always acted slovenly when he was drunk. It was Aileen's least favorite habit.
Aileen sighed and refocused on preparing for the guests. She had just finished laying a new tablecloth and arranging the best plates and cutlery when she heard a commotion outside. Looking out the window, she saw four men and women bickering as they walked through the garden, accompanied by a black military vehicle parked in front of the house. Each of them was carrying a bunch of things.
Aileen smiled and opened the front door. The Grand Duke's knights grinned broadly as the door opened before they could even knock.
"We're here!"
Rohan, Diego, and Michele entered first, followed by Senon. Senon looked at Aileen with a deeply moved expression.
"Lady Aileen..."
"Sir Senon. It's been a while."
"You've become even more mature in the meantime."
Just as Senon, overcome with emotion, was about to get lost in a trip down memory lane, Michele nudged him with her elbow.
"I'm hungry."
Senon, swayed by Michele's force like a willow in the wind, braced himself and glared at Michele. Michele giggled and bumped her forehead against his.
"Brother, don't get angry. A well-fed soldier is a good-looking soldier."
Then she hurried to the table. Senon rubbed his forehead with a groan, swallowing his annoyance. It was obvious that he was holding back his temper because Aileen was there.
Senon wasn't short, but he seemed small compared to Cesare and the other knights, who were all very tall. He was only slightly taller than Michele, who was quite tall for a woman.
Senon, who had a strong androgynous look, often felt relatively deprived among his large colleagues. Just like now.
"Did you see that? Just because they're a little taller, they treat me like this...!"
While Senon was complaining to Aileen about his colleagues' misdeeds, the other knights were already busy carrying food from the kitchen to the table.
"Lady Aileen, where should I put this?"
"Wow, this smells amazing. Where did you buy this? I should go buy some too."
"Miss, I brought a bottle of wine. Let's drink it with dinner."
The three of them were bustling about when Diego suddenly ran back to Aileen.
"A present! I have a present here."
He grabbed a paper bag he had hurriedly placed on one side of the table. Diego grinned and pulled out a large rabbit doll.
"Ta-da!"
Aileen laughed at his antics. She hugged the doll and thanked him.
"Thank you, Sir Diego."
The rabbit doll that Diego had brought as a gift was very cute. Its soft texture seemed to calm her mind.
As she absentmindedly fiddled with the rabbit doll, Diego looked very triumphant. He flaunted it in front of the other three knights.
"Did you see that?"
He also made sure to brag to Aileen that the wine he had brought with the doll was reeeeally expensive. When Aileen thanked him again, Diego looked like he had the whole world.
The other three knights all made annoyed expressions and took out the gifts they had prepared. Rohan gave her a rare foreign botany book, Senon gave her a set of fountain pens, and Michele gave her a large glass jar filled with foreign candy and chocolate.
Aileen, who had received a pile of gifts, diligently thanked them and presented her own gifts.
"This is my gift."
The gifts, packaged in small boxes, were wound healing ointments.
Compared to the platinum pocket watch she had given Cesare, it was a rather modest gift. But the knights were as delighted as if they had received expensive jewels.
"Wow! I really needed this ointment!"
Diego, who was making a fuss about how the ointment Aileen had made was the most effective, was followed by the others, who excitedly brought their ointments and chattered. Rohan also smiled as he placed the small ointment on his large palm.
"I'll have to show it off when I go to work tomorrow."
After the gift exchange, they all sat down at the table. Before eating the food that had been prepared, Aileen belatedly remembered someone she had forgotten because she had been so busy preparing everything.
Her father was in the bedroom on the first floor.
She had told him about the guests several days in advance. She had even given him some money to go out because she knew he would want to avoid them, but he must have slept in and missed the opportunity to leave.
Aileen glanced at her father's bedroom. Just then, there was a thud from inside the bedroom. The knights all looked towards the bedroom.
"Ah, my father... is inside."
Aileen muttered in embarrassment.
"He should eat something, though."
As Aileen looked at the bedroom door with a dejected expression, the knights exchanged glances. Senon nodded to Diego first. Diego raised his eyebrows and jumped up from his seat.
"Baron."
Diego strode up to the bedroom and grabbed the doorknob, shaking it. The door rattled as if it would break.
"Why don't you come out and eat with us?"
After a moment of silence, a mumbling voice came from beyond the door.
"I'm alright..."
It was a voice that was smaller than a passing ant. Aileen was about to let it go, thinking that he wasn't going to eat, but Diego didn't give up. He leaned one arm against the door and spoke casually, like a thug.
"Why? A person has to eat to live. I said, let's eat together?"
It was clearly an invitation to dinner, but his voice and actions made it sound like he was about to slap someone. Diego slammed his hand on the door and said ominously.
"Come out, Lord Elrod."
